BELFAST – Maine's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Economic Development Program has awarded the City of Belfast and Front Street Shipyard a grant of $200,000.

The money will be used for improvements at the former Belfast Boatyard waterfront property, recently bought by the Shipyard, and for a custom marine heated spray painting booth at the Shipyard.

Improvements to the Boatyard property will include strengthening an existing wooden dock, buying a 30-ton crane for removing masts from ships, and building an accompanying structural concrete support pad, according to a press release from the city.

The spray booth is expected to improve the quality of paint work that can be done at the Shipyard and keep the business competitive with other shipyards around the world.   

Front Street Shipyard President JB Turner credited the company's working relationship with the city as one of the keys to the success of the business.  

"The City’s involvement and help throughout our rapid growth has been unprecedented in my career," he said. "Time and time again, when called upon for quick, decisive action, Belfast in total has come to our aid.  We truly relish being a part of this community and hope that by working together on items such as the grant, Front Street Shipyard can continue to be an important piece of Belfast for many years to come.” 

The award requires matching funds from Front Street Shipyard in the amount of the grant, and that the shipyard create seven new jobs with at least 51-percent of them going to persons of low and moderate income as defined by the office of Housing and Urban Development, according to Belfast Economic Development Director Thomas Kittredge, who wrote the grant. Kittredge said the Shipyard has promised to create 10 jobs.

The city has won state grants for sidewalks and other infrastructure improvements that indirectly benefit private propety owners, but Kittredge said this grant is unusual in the extent to which it goes directly to a business.

Asked how the city chose the Shipyard, Kittredge said the grant only applies to certain types of businesses and that the job creation requirement is too step for most small businesses. Front Street Shipyard asked the city about the grant, he said, and no other businesses inquired.

"We haven't had to choose between two businesses, yet," he said.

Penobscot Bay Pilot reporter Ethan Andrews can be reached at ethanandrews@penbaypilot.com